Seal-lock



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(Model.)

. J. F. INGHRAM.

SEAL LOCK. 1

Patented Deo. 4, 1883.

TLESEEE-- UNITED- 'STATES PATENT Enron..

JOHN E. INGHEAM, OE `ALLEeHENr,AssreNoH rro HiMsELE AND JOHN H.

' NOBLE, OE vEHONA, rENNsYLvANIA. l

SEAL-LOCK.I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.`289,41'7, datedV December 4, 1883, Application nieu July 2t, lesa. (Moden To caf/ZZ whom it r11/tyV concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FINGHEAM, of the city of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seal-Locks; and I do hereby declare the followingto Abe-a full, clear, and exact description thereof Myinvention relates to an improvement in seal-locks for railroadcars5 and it consists in a sliding bolt` forfsecuring the hasp, and a` sliding collar or dog, in combination with a disk-seal provided with a shank, on the end of which is a1 button adapted to engage with the bolt, anda case for holding the seal, so arranged that when the bolt is lowered and the seal is placed in position the bolt cannot be released nor the seal removed withoutbreaking the button from the shank of the seal.

Heretofore in seal locks, where frangible seals have been used, in most cases it has `been necessary to break, and thereby destroy, the face of the seal in order to open the lock. This difculty is avoided by my invention, as by opening the lock the button is cut or broken off, leaving the face or disk portion ofthe seal perfect and unbroken, so that it can be filed away for reference.

I will now describe my invention so that others skilled in the art mayman'ufacture and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- `Figure lis a front elevation of my improved seal-lock. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, showing the bolt lowered and the seal in position and secured. Fig. 3 isa vertical sectional view of the same, showing the bolt raised. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, through the shank of the seal at x, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is `an elevation of the sliding collar which secures the seal in place. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modiiied form of my improved seal-lock. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same, the front plate being removed and the bolt raised. Fig. 8 is a 'like view, the bolt being lowered; and Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view through the shank of the seal.

Like letters .of reference indicate likeparts wherever they occur.

In both the form of lock shown in Fig. 1 and the modified form shown in Fig. 6 the lock consists of a sliding bolt adapted to securethe hasps, and arranged ina lock case or frame, the bolt being provided with a recess or slot for engaging with the button on the shank of the seal, and a collar or ldog for locking the seal when placed in position. 1

In the drawings, a represents the round `bolt which slides up and down in the case b. `At the top of the bolt a is an arm, c, and in the side of the bolt, inside of the case b, is an inclined slot or recess, d, which,when the bolt a is lowered, comes under the opening e'Z in the In the face-plate of the lock-case b is x case b. a cavity, e, similar in size to the seal used.

` In thecenter of this cavity e is the opening c2,

leaving the rabbet or stop f, so as to allow the disk portion of the seal to be inserted in the face-plate of the lock-case without passing through the opening.` On the bolt a, inside of the case b, below the slot or recess d, is a lug, y

g, and on the inside ofthe face-plate ofthe case b, near the bottom thereof, is a lug h. the case b, around the bolt c, is a sliding collar, i, having a slit, k, Yextending from the lower4 end thereof upward to about the iniddle of the collar. This slit is of a greater width than the thickness of the shank z of the Inside of seal and of a less width than the head or` button y on the end of the shank. Inside of the case b, on the rear face thereof, is a slot, m,

which engages with the lug g when the bolt is raised and turned, and thereby holds it in this position. Below the case b are the thimbles an, over which the hasp passes,and is secured by the bolt being lowered through the thinibles and over the hasp. The sealxhas a diskface, from the rear side of which extends a shank, z, at the end of which shank is a buta, engaging with the slot m on the rear IOO face of the case b, as shown in Fig. 3, the cardoor is locked and sealed as follows: The hasp,

which is not shown in the drawings, is placed over the thimblesa a. The seal is then inserted in the cavity c, the button and shank of the seal passing through the opening e2, the button coming in contact with the bolt a as the collar is held up out of the way by the lug g. The bolt is then turned partially by means of vthe arm c, which relieves the lug g from the slotm, and the bolt is lowered or depressed, so that the end thereof shall enter the thimbles n n, and thereby secure the hasp. The sliding collar i, however, remains at the top of the case, as it is held by the button y of the seal. The bolt a is then turned farther on its axis by means of the arm c, which brings the lug g on the bolt a under the lug h on the faceplate of the case b, as shown in Fig. 2. Thislocksthe bolt a, so that it cannot be raised'without first being turned on its axis. At the same time the slot or recess d in the bolt a is brought opposite the opening e',and the button y on the end of the shank of the seal enters the slot, when the collar z', being released, falls down, so that the shank z of the seal is in the slit lf, as shown in Fig. 4.. This effectually locks and seals the car-door. The seal cannot be removed from the opening e without breaking off the head or button y, as the head is larger than the width of the slit 7s, and as the opening e2 is closed by the seal the collar lcannotbe raised until the seal is removed. Nor can the bolt be raised so as to free the hasp without breaking the button from the seal, as in order to raise the bolt it is first necessary to turn it on its axis in order to free the lugs gand 7L from each other, and this turning motion breaks the button off the shank, as it is situated in the slotd.

In order to unlock the car-door, the arm c is turned so as to release the lug g, and thereby the button y is broken or cut from the shank of the seal x. The seal is then removed and the bolt is raised to its former position, where it is held by turning the bolt so that the lug g will engage with the slot m. Vhen the bolt a is turned and the button broken, the inclined slot d comes opposite a groove, p, in the inner face of the collar Through this groove the button drops into the bottom of the case b and out by the opening q.

In order to prevent the seal being placed in position in its cavity e, in the face-plate ofthe case b, after the lock has been opened and the button cut ofi the shank of the seal, so as to give the appearance of the lock not having been opened, I place a spring, of', within the case b, its lower end being secured to the case and its upper end bent at right angles, so as to project through a small opening in the faceplate in the rabbet f, at one side of the opening e2, and in the cavity or receptacle for the disk of the seal. Vhen the disk of the seal is inserted in the cavity e, it forces back the spring and admits of the button entering the slot d in thebolt a, and of the seal being locked by the sliding collar z,- but if the button is broken off it is impossible for the disk of the seal to be held in place, as the spring will force it out, unless it is held in place by the sliding collar and button, as before described. This spring is also shown in the modified form of my invention.

In the modied form shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 the bolt a, instead of being round, is flat, and passes through correspondinglyshaped thimbles aa. In the case b', between the face-plate and the bolt a', is a dog, i', which is pivoted in the case b by the pin c, extending from the face-plate. In the bolt a is an inclined slot or recess, d, and in the edge of the dog i', 'below the pivotal point, is a slot, le', slightly curved, which slot is less in width than the size of the slot d. On the face of the bolt a, below the slot d", is a lug, g. In the face-plate of the case b is a cavity, e', for the reception ofthe disk of theseal, and an opening, e, similar to the opening e2 in the other forni of lock. Secured to the face-plate of the case is a spring, fr', the other end of which is bent, and projects through an opening in the rabbet j". In the side of the'dog i', just below the slot 7s', is a notch, Z, and in the lower part of the case b is an opening, m.

In the operation, the bolt a being raised andheld in position by the notch fm in the dog t, engaging with the lug g, as shown in Fig. 7, the car-door is locked and sealed by moving the dog so as to relieve the bolt. The bolt is then partially lowered, and the button on the shank of the seal is inserted through the opening e. The bolt is then depressed until the end thereof passes through the thimbles n n', and the button y enters the slot d', the dog fi, being then released, drops, so as to secure the shank z in the slot c, and the end of the dog comes over the lug g. This locks and seals the door of the car, for the seal being secured in the cavity c', and held by the button i, which is larger in size than the width of the slot k', the opening e is closed thereby, and the dog i cannot be moved so as to release the shank of the seal from the slot, and as the dog IOO fi engages with the lug g on the bolt a the bolt is prevented from being drawn from the thimbles n a'.

In order to unlock the car-door, the button is broken from the shank of the seal by driving the bolt a downward by a blow on the top thereof. The seal is then easilyremoved from the opening and the dog swung to one side,

releasing the lug g and allowing the bolt to be raised to its first position. When the dog is swung to one side, the broken button falls out of the inclined slot d and through the opening m in the bottom of the case I).

The face of the seal x being uninjured, when removed from the lock by the spring r, may

be filed away for reference.

Vhen the bolt is locked, as described, the

289.417 i i i s Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patl. A lock consisting of a movable bolt and a lug, dog, or catch for preventing the Withdrawal of the bolt when in a locked position, in combination With a seal which enters the case of thelock, and prevents the bolt being released from its' catch Without first breaking the stem of the seal, and a device for engaging the stem of the seal to prevent its Withdrawal from the lock-case until the stern is broken, substantially as described.

2. In a seal-lock having a movable bolt and a catch for locking the bolt independently of the seal, a frangible seal having an internallyprojecting stern which enters a cavity in Itfhe bolt when the bolt is in a locked position, so that the bolt cannot be moved to disengage it from its catch Without breaking the steine the seal, substantially as speciiied.

3. In a seal-lock, a movable bolt, in combination with a seal having an internally-projecting button, and adapted to engage with the bolt, a device for locking the seal, and a Y lug or lugs for locking the bolt, substantially as specified.

4L. In a seal-lock having a cavity for the reception of the seal, and devices for securing or locking the seal therein, a spring for ejecting or releasing the seal from the cavity when the seal is released from the securing or locking devices, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of July, A. D. 1883.

JOHN F. INGHIRAM. 

